Individuals eligible to apply for and hold James Madison Fellowships are United States citizens, United States nationals, or permanent residents of the Northern Mariana Islands who are:

(a) Teachers of American history, American government, social studies, or political science in grades 7-12 who:

(1) Are teaching full time during the year in which they apply for a fellowship;

(2) Are under contract, or can provide evidence of being under prospective contract, to teach full time as teachers of American history, American government, social studies, or political science in grades 7-12;

(3) Have demonstrated records of willingness to devote themselves to civic responsibilities and to professional and collegial activities within their schools and school districts;

(4) Are highly recommended by their department heads, school heads, school district superintendents, or other supervisors;

(5) Qualify for admission with graduate standing at accredited universities of their choice that offer master's degree programs allowing at least 12 semester hours or their equivalent of study of the origins, principles, and development of the Constitution of the United States and of its comparison with the constitutions of other forms of government;

(6) Are able to complete their proposed courses of graduate study within five calendar years from the commencement of study under their fellowships, normally through part-time study during summers or in evening or weekend programs;

(7) Agree to attend the Foundation's four-week Summer Institute on the Constitution, normally during the summer following the commencement of study under their fellowships; and

(8) Sign agreements that, after completing the education for which the fellowship is awarded, they will teach American history, American government, social studies, or political science full time in secondary schools for a period of not less than one year for each full year of study for which assistance was received, preferably in the State listed as their legal residence at the time of their fellowship award. For the purposes of this provision, a full academic year of study is considered by the Foundation to be 18 credit hours or 27 quarter hours. Fellows' teaching obligations will be figured at full academic years of study; and when Fellows have studies for partial academic years, those years will be rounded upward to the nearest one-half year to determine Fellows' total teaching obligations.

(b) Those who aspire to become full-time teachers of American history, American government, social studies, or political science in grades 7-12 who:

(1) Are matriculated college seniors pursuing their baccalaureate degrees full time and will receive those degrees no later than August 31st of the year of the fellowship competition in which they apply or prior recipients of baccalaureate degrees;

(2) Plan to begin graduate study on a full-time basis;

(3) Have demonstrated records of willingness to devote themselves to civic responsibilities;

(4) Are highly recommended by faculty members, deans, or other persons familiar with their potential for graduate study of American history and government and with their serious intention to enter the teaching profession as secondary school teachers of American history, American government, social studies, or political science in grades 7-12;

(5) Qualify for admission with graduate standing at accredited universities of their choice that offer master's degree programs that allow at least 12 semester hours or their equivalent of study of the origins, principles, and development of the Constitution of the United States and of its comparison with the constitutions and history of other forms of government;

(6) Are able to complete their proposed courses of graduate study in no more than two calendar years from the commencement of study under their fellowships, normally through full-time study;

(7) Agree to attend the Foundation's four-week Summer Institute on the Constitution, normally during the summer following the commencement of study under their fellowships; and

(8) Sign an agreement that, after completing the education for which the fellowship is awarded, they will teach American history, American government, social studies, or political science full time in secondary schools for a period of not less than one year for each full academic year of study for which assistance was received, preferably in the State listed as their legal residence at the time of their fellowship award. Fellows' teaching obligations will be figured at full academic years of study; and when Fellows have studies for partial academic years, those years will be rounded upward to the nearest one-half year to determine Fellows' total teaching obligations.